The Legend of Zelda: The Ancient Spirits
by ZeldaWriter87
Summary: Ganondorf has returned but our Hero of Time can no longer fight him. This time it is up to his son! In order to save Hyrule, the younger Link must collect the seven ancient spirits and bring them back to the Sacred Realm to seal Ganondorf once and for all
1. The Legend of Zelda: The Ancient Spirits

Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda or any of its characters. The only characters I own are any original characters within the story if any are there.  
  
The Legend of Zelda:  
  
The Ancient Spirits  
  
Chapter 1  
  
A young boy walked through a field of flowers. He didn't seem to have any particular destination and was merely walking through the field simply for the enjoyment of it. He stopped every so often to bend down and pick a flower to smell it then he would continue on his way. The boy continued to do this for many hours and didn't seem to have a care in the world.  
  
All of a sudden the sky turned black and all the flowers disappeared, replaced but dark barren wasteland. Lightning flashed and thunder sounded striking the ground and terrifying the boy. He fell to the ground and landed on his rear with his hands behind him. He looked around frantically for something to comfort but saw nothing except for the darkness all around him.  
  
As the boy began to pull his knees up to his chest and cry, he saw something in the distance. It was very faint at first but it kept getting larger and brighter. As it got closer he made out the figure of a woman but he still couldn't quite tell who it was. When the figure was finally close enough he saw that it was indeed a beautiful woman. She was dressed in a very fine blue dress and was adorned with rings, bracelets, and a small tiara on her head. There was also a strange symbol made up of three triangles joined at the tips on her right hand. The boy thought she must have been a princess and normally he would have bowed to her but he was so happy to see something - or rather – someone comforting he completely forgot himself and ran over to the woman and hugged her.  
  
The woman embraced the young boy lovingly and a single tear fell down her cheek. She pulled the boy slightly away from her and knelt down to look at his face. She brushed a hand through his short golden locks and looked deeply into his cerulean eyes. The boy looked back at the woman the same way. He noticed her eyes were the same as his and her hair as well but he was fairly sure he had never seen her before.  
  
All of a sudden the boy and woman were surrounded by several glowing balls of light. Each ball was a different color and smaller balls – so small they would be almost unnoticeable by themselves – trailed behind them. The boy counted seven of them as they circled the woman and him. He became so entranced that he almost forgot about the woman.  
  
As they boy continued staring at the balls of light, out of nowhere lightning struck all around them and the balls of light scattered and disappeared. After they had gone the boy found himself clutching onto the woman again. He looked at her and saw the same loving face he had seen since he had met her. He laid his head to rest on her shoulder but then he heard something. He lifted his head and looked in all directions to see where the sound was coming from. As it got closer he realized that it was the sound of a horse. He frantically searched but could not see anything. When the sound of the horse's hooves hitting the ground were so loud it sounded like it was right next to them the boy looked behind the woman and saw a very large black horse that looked almost demonic with glowing red eyes and metal plates covering large portions of its body including its face.  
  
The boy then looked at the rider of the horse and his face went white with fear. The rider looked more frightening than death. He wore solid black armor and with a large red jewel in the center. The rider had no helmet and his dark golden-brown face was visible. His hair was crimson red and a very large sword was at his side and the same strange triangle shape that adorned the woman's right hand was on the rider's right hand as well. The boy fell a burning sensation in his left hand and looked down. His hand glowed red as the same symbol seemed to draw itself on his hand and then glowed a golden color as it finally appeared whole.  
  
The boy was frightened and confused again and looked to the woman for comfort but instead of the comforting look she had before her face now held a look of fear and desperation. The boy looked at the rider again and saw that his sword was raised and ready to strike down the woman. He was even more frightened now and tried to tell the woman to run but his voice wouldn't come out. He tried desperately but as he tried the woman placed a finger over his mouth. She hugged him one more time then kissed him on the cheek.  
  
Just before the rider's sword came down to strike her, she whispered into his ear, "Live," and it was over.  
  
The sword pierced the woman through the chest just as she pushed the boy away from her. Blood spattered the boy's face as he fell to the ground. The woman gripped the sword in her chest and held on to it tightly for a moment but as the life drained out of her she slowly began to let go until her arms fell limp at her side. The rider jumped off of his horse and grabbed his sword then pushed the woman off of it with his foot. He looked over in the direction of the boy and a wicked smile crossed his face. The boy stood up to run but his legs seemed to be frozen in place and he could not move.  
  
As the boy tried to move, the rider came closer and closer. No matter how hard he tried the boy could not move. When the rider was right in front of him and ready to strike the boy fell to his knees and covered his head. The rider lifted the sword and brought it down…….  
  
The young boy shot up screaming until he realized that he was at home in his bed. He looked around in the darkness and saw the familiar outlines of his possessions. In a matter of moments his mother walked in through the door holding a candle in her nightgown. He could see her bright red hair was a mess by the light of the candle and could tell she looked a little worried. She walked over to the boy and set the candle down on the nightstand next to his bed. She sat down next to him and pulled him close.  
  
"My, that must have been some nightmare," she said as she hugged her son. "You must've woken up all the horses outside."  
  
"I'm sorry mommy but it was so scary," he said. He was shaking very badly and even though he was cold he was sweating.  
  
"You poor child. Tell mommy all about it," she said to the boy as comfortingly as she could.  
  
"Well," the boy began, "I was walking through this field of flowers. All of a sudden the sky turned dark and all of the flowers went away. The ground was real dark and I could hardly see. Then lightning flashed and it scared me. I was so scared but then this real pretty lady came and she hugged me. She had hair like mine and eyes like mine. She wore a real pretty dress and had rings and bracelets on. She had a real pretty tiara on her head too. I felt real safe so I hugged her back. Then these lights showed up and started swirling around us. They made everything real bright but the lighting flashed again and the lights went away. Then I heard something and this real scary man showed up behind the pretty lady. He had a strange shape on his hand that looked like three triangles put together. I looked down and saw the lady had the same shape on her hand. Then I felt my hand burning and I looked down and saw the same shape on my hand glowing. Then the woman held me and whispered to me 'Live'. Then the man he…..he….. raised his sword and stuck it in her. Her blood got on me and the man pulled the sword out of her. Then he looked at me and started to come after me. I tried to run but I couldn't move. He got to me and then he raised his sword and……then I woke up."  
  
He looked up at his mother and saw that she seemed just as frightened as he did. He didn't understand what was bothering her. He kissed her on the cheek and she snapped out of her state of shock and kissed him back.  
  
"Are you alright, mommy," the boy asked his mother.  
  
"I'm just fine. I'm glad you're okay. Now go back to sleep. I'll fix you your favorite breakfast of eggs and pancakes tomorrow," she said.  
  
"Okay mommy. Good night mommy," the boy said as he laid his head on his pillow and closed his eyes.  
  
The boy's mother leaned down and kissed his forehead and said, "Goodnight…Link."  
  
Link's mother got up from the bed and headed back to her room and fell down onto her bed.  
  
"This is worse than I thought. He's already having the nightmares. Dear sages, Malon, what did you get yourself into," she thought as she closed her eyes. The last thing Maron thought as she drifted off into sleep was why she had been chosen to take care of the young boy whom she had adopted as her own son.  
  
The next morning after Link woke up he went into the kitchen and found that his mother had already cooked his breakfast and left it on the table. He was used to eating breakfast alone though. His mother always got up early to cook breakfast for him and then she had to go out and help his Grandpa Talon and his Uncle Ingo with the horses. As he sat down and began to eat his breakfast he saw his mother come in the door. He waved at her but she didn't wave back. He thought that was strange because she always waved back to him when he waved to her.  
  
"What's the matter mommy," Link said with a worried look on his face. "You look real sad."  
  
"Link…I have something to tell you but I'm afraid you won't understand," Malon said to him.  
  
"What do you mean mommy," Link asked her. That sent a pain through her chest. What she was about to tell him would shatter his world.  
  
"Link, honey, I…..I…..I'm not your mommy," she finally managed to say.  
  
She looked over at Link and expected him to act hysterical and start crying but he was surprisingly calm.  
  
"I know," was all he said. That shocked Malon to her bones. How could he have possibly known about that?  
  
"Link, how could you have known," she asked him, her curiosity somewhat intrigued.  
  
"Well, we don't look anything a like and whenever I asked you what daddy looked like you said that you and he pretty much looked the same and since you said you took after grandma and grandpa has black hair and eyes it wasn't real hard to figure out," Link said as he stared at his plate and played with his eggs.  
  
Malon was certainly surprised that he knew but she realized that even a child his age would have been able to figure it out after all the mistakes she made in covering up his real parentage.  
  
"I just want to know why you never told me who my real mommy and daddy are," he asked as he continued to play with his food.  
  
"Honey, I promised your real mommy and daddy that I wouldn't tell you who they were until you became a man. You're only seven years old and you won't be a man for another ten years. They made me promise when you turned seventeen I would tell you who they were," Malon said as she too stared down at the table.  
  
Link just nodded his head and silently began eating his food again. Malon felt a tear fall down her cheek and she couldn't help but let a sniffle out. Link looked up at her and smiled.  
  
"Don't worry. No matter what happens, you will always be my mommy," he said and walked over to her and kissed her on the cheek. Malon could no longer hold in her emotions and began to cry hysterically. She hugged Link tightly and kissed him on the forehead.  
  
"Link, I want you to promise me something, okay," she asked in between sobs.  
  
"What is it mommy?"  
  
"If you are ever in a situation in which you have to risk your life to save someone, don't hesitate. Do everything you can to save them, okay?"  
  
Link didn't quite understand what Malon was saying but he nodded his head and said, "Okay mommy. I promise."  
  
Malon hugged Link again and wiped her tear-stained face. She had finally stopped crying and was heading back outside.  
  
"Link, honey, when you finish your breakfast I want you to come outside with your grandpa and I. I think it's time your learned how to ride a horse," Malon said with a smile.  
  
Link jumped up and down excitedly and ate his breakfast before Malon even had her foot out the door. Malon giggled a little as she wiped some of the yolk Link had on his face from the eggs.  
  
"You two owe me big time," Malon thought as she walked out of the house and looked in the direction of a strange looking forest and then a very majestic looking castle.  
  
"You owe me big." 


	2. The Legend of Zelda: The Ancient Spirits...

Chapter 2  
  
Link was riding through Hyrule Field on his horse Midnight with great speed. He had just had his thirteenth birthday and Malon had given him a horse as a present. The horse was blacker than the night sky except for the white rings around his hooves. His Grandpa Talon had given him a bow and arrow set which he now had strapped to his back. Ingo didn't know what to give him so he just gave him fifty rupees to use however he wanted.  
  
"Just don't go spending it on nonsense," Link recalled his Uncle Ingo saying before he rode off on Midnight to go exploring Hyrule Field.  
  
As Link rode through the field, he almost lost himself in his bliss. The feeling of riding as fast as your horse could carry you and feeling the wind on your face and through your hair was indescribable. As a matter of fact, if he hadn't been to busy feeling the wind on his face, he would've have noticed that Midnight was about to run into a stream. Midnight stopped but Link did not and found himself flying through the air and right into the river.  
  
When Link got up he cursed at Midnight for flinging him off, something his mother would definitely have scolded him for, and inspected himself. He wasn't hurt but his clothes were soaked and he needed to find some new ones quickly. He looked around and noticed he wasn't too far from Hyrule Castle Town.  
  
"Well, it's there or nothing," he said. Hyrule had many villages throughout the country but Hyrule Castle Town was the only place that had more than your standard shops. It had almost every shop you could think of now. Malon had once told him that since he had been born that Hyrule Castle Town was really the only place in Hyrule that changed.  
  
Link remounted Midnight and headed off for Hyrule Castle Town. As he neared the drawbridge he noticed the sky getting darker. He looked to the west and noticed the sun going down.  
  
"I must've stayed out longer than I thought." Link said to himself in his head.  
  
"Well boy," he said to Midnight as they got ever closer to Hyrule Castle Town, "it seems like we're going to have to spend the night here and do our shopping tomorrow."  
  
Just as he and Midnight crossed the bridge the drawbridge started to close. Link asked the guard at the gate where the inn was and the guard pointed told him to turn left when he actually set foot in the town. Link thanked him and headed into town.  
  
When looked around at the town for the first time he could not believe his eyes. The town was much larger than he had imagined. Even they most of them were closed he couldn't help but go to some of the shops and look at the merchandise through the windows.  
  
Link looked around for a while until he found a clothing store. Luckily it was still open. He tied Midnight to a post outside and walked in. He looked around and saw no one in the store but a woman at the counter. He approached her and tapped the little bell next to her.  
  
"Excuse me, miss," he said politely.  
  
"Yes, how may I help you young sir," she said as she looked up at him.  
  
"Well, as you can see, I am in dire need of some dry clothes," Link replied as he raised his arms and showed his wet, somewhat muddy clothes to the woman.  
  
"You certainly are. Do you have any money with you," she asked politely.  
  
"Yes, miss."  
  
"Very well then young sir, come with me and I will take your measurements," the woman said as she led him to the back of the shop.  
  
"Now raise your arms and stand still please," she said as she brought out her measuring tape. She went all over his body and took down his measurements on a sheet of paper. When she was finished she told him to wait right where he was and she would be back in a moment. When she came back Link was a little taken aback by the suit she had brought him.  
  
"I know it looks a little strange but it's the only thing I have in your size right now," the woman said as she showed him strange looking green tunic and pointed cap.  
  
"Tell me, have you ever heard of the Kokiri," she asked Link. He nodded his head in reply. His mother had told him what little she knew about them. Apparently, they were elves that physically looked like children all their lives and hardly, if ever, left their home the Kokiri Forest.  
  
"Well, this is their style of dress. I understand if you don't want to wear it but it is the only thing I have for you," she said as she continued to hold it up for him.  
  
Link finally just shrugged his shoulders and took it from the woman and went into the dressing room to change. When he came out he looked at himself in the mirror. He actually smiled.  
  
"Hey, I actually look pretty good in this. Almost…heroic," he thought with a smile.  
  
"So how much is this get up," Link asked as he continued to admire himself in the mirror.  
  
"Oh you can just have it. I could never sell that thing and it was just taking up space," the woman said as she returned to the counter.  
  
"Thank you very much, miss," Link said as he took off his cap and bowed to her. Malon had always told him that no matter who they were you should always bow to someone who had shown you kindness.  
  
Link headed out the door and untied Midnight. Instead of mounting him he just led him to the inn. He tied Midnight to a post and went inside to get a room. He walked up to the counter and rang the bell. A very large bald man with beady eyes and a blue vest on stepped through a door on the other side of the counter.  
  
"How may I help you, young sir," he asked politely.  
  
"Appearances certainly can be deceiving," Link thought. To him, this man looked like he was most likely rude to everyone he knew but he was actually very polite.  
  
"I need a room, sir. I also need a stable for my horse," Link asked as he looked around the small lobby. It was indeed quite small but well furnished.  
  
"That'll be ten rupees for you and ten for your horse, young sir," the innkeeper said. Link dug into his pockets and pulled out four blue rupees and set them on the counter.  
  
"Very well. I will place your horse in the stables. Here is the key to your room. It's the last door all the way down the hall on the left," the innkeeper said as he handed Link the key.  
  
Link headed to his room and went inside. It was small but well furnished like the lobby. A candle was lit on the stand next to the bed. There was a window on the right side of the room that looked out into the street.  
  
Link did not care to look around at the rest of the room though. He was exhausted now so he set his bow and arrows next to his bed and then just fell back onto it. He pulled his legs on the bed and didn't even bother slipping underneath the sheets and fell asleep on top of them.  
  
The next morning when he woke up he found a plate of eggs and pancakes next to the bed on the stand.  
  
"This man must be psychic," Link thought as he ate the breakfast the innkeeper had prepared for him.  
  
Link finished and was about to leave the room when he noticed that the window was open. He thought it was strange but he didn't think anything of it at the moment. He had been tired the night before and had opened it and forgotten about it. At least that was what he thought until he noticed that his bow and arrows were missing. He searched all over the room and found nothing. He rushed out of his room and asked the innkeeper if he had heard anything strange last night. The innkeeper shook his head saying the only noises he heard was Midnight moving around in the stables. Link quickly thanked the innkeeper and went outside to fetch Midnight. Link mounted Midnight and slowly rode him through town to find the thief.  
  
It was early morning so not many people were out but it would still be difficult to find the thief. Hyrule Castle Town was large and it would take a long time to find the thief. Thankfully the drawbridge had not yet been lowered so he knew that the thief was still somewhere in town.  
  
Link searched for about an hour but still found no sign of the thief. He couldn't dawn was approaching and he knew he didn't have much time to find the thief. He was about to give up when he saw one of his arrows on the ground. He dismounted Midnight and bent down to pick it up. Just as he bent down an arrow went flying past his head and struck the ground next to his hand. Link spun around and looked up. In the tree was a boy about his age dressed like a thief. In his hands was Link's bow. Link growled and ran at the tree and climbed it with amazing speed. Link had been so fast that the thief had no time to react before Link was in front of him on the branch.  
  
"Alright, you dirty thief. Hand over my bow and arrows before I have to beat you to a pulp," he said balling up his fist.  
  
The thief laughed and said, "Fine, but you have to catch me first." With that he leapt out of the tree and onto the roof of the nearest building. Link leapt after him and the chase was on. Link chased after the thief over countless rooftops for what seemed like forever. Off in the distance he could hear the drawbridge open but he kept his attention focused on the thief ahead of him.  
  
All of a sudden the thief seemed to drop down and disappear. Link figured he dropped down into one of the alleys and prepared to drop down himself but when he reached the spot where the thief had dropped and looked down he could see no sign of the thief anywhere. He looked up and down the alley but saw nothing. He cursed for the second time that day and then he remembered that he had left Midnight at the tree. He whistled as loud as he could and in moments Midnight was beneath Link. Link hopped down off of the roof then mounted Midnight.  
  
Link decided to give up on the thief. He figured that by now the thief had left the town and was long gone. As morning approached he noticed that there were many guards moving towards the center of town towards the square. Link stopped one of the guards and asked him what was going on.  
  
"Her majesty Queen Zelda of Hyrule is going to make a public appearance. She does so once a year just to meet with the people. She is a much loved ruler but there are those who still wish to do her harm so that is why so many of us are gathering at the square," the guard replied.  
  
"Oh, I see," Link said. He thought about what the guard had said and he was sure he had heard the name Zelda before. Not because she was queen but it felt like it was something more personal.  
  
"Hey kid. If you pay me ten rupees I'll let you stand with the other guards and I," the guard whispered.  
  
"Huh? Why would you do that," Link asked curiously.  
  
"Well, even though every one of us guards loves the queen and would proudly give our lives to protect her, most of the treasury goes back to helping the people of the land so we don't get paid very much. Plus you'll get to meet the queen herself," he whispered again.  
  
Link thought about it for a moment. Meeting the queen was certainly something exciting and it didn't happen everyday so he agreed and handed the guard two blue rupees.  
  
"Thanks kid. Now I'll be able to buy my kid that mask he's been asking about. I remember when I got a mask from my dad when I was a kid. I was so happy….." the guard rambled on for a moment before he finally led Link to the square. Link was amazed. Even though it was late morning by now and most everyone in town was awake he was amazed at the number of people that were already there. The square was so crowded that even the streets were beginning to fill.  
  
The guard led Link next to a platform and told him to stay there until the queen was finished with her appearance. It was not long before Link heard the sounds of trumpets blowing loudly proclaiming the arrival of the queen in her grand carriage. Link turned to look at her and his face became white as snow when he finally saw the queen. She looked exactly like the woman in his nightmares. Link almost fell off of Midnight but caught himself just before he lost his balance.  
  
The Queen stepped onto the stage and the people applauded and cheered her. She smiled and waved to the people and waited patiently for them to quiet down before she spoke. When she did Link recognized her voice. Even though she had spoken only one word in his nightmares he still recognized her voice.  
  
"This is very odd. Why would I dream about Queen Zelda," he thought to himself. He noticed that she was also wearing the same blue dress that she was wearing in the dream. By now Link was really becoming uneasy about his nightmares but he kept his reaction to himself. No need to alert the guards about it.  
  
As the queen continued to speak Link suddenly had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. It wasn't physical pain but rather a feeling that made him feel like very bad was going to happen. Link looked around to see if anything was wrong and didn't notice anything but then he looked up at the rooftop and saw someone perched on the edge. He squinted his eyes to see what they were doing and he noticed that the person was holding a bow and beginning to drawback an arrow to fire. He realized that it was the same thief he had run into earlier. He didn't even need to follow the thief's line of sight to know he was aiming for the queen. He also realized that even if he alerted the guards it would be too late before the thief fired.  
  
Just as the queen was about to finish her speech the thief fired his arrow at the queen. Link was already running towards her at full speed by the time the arrow was fired. The people all gasped as Link ran onto the platform and headed for Queen Zelda. The guards were beginning to rush onto the platform as well to stop Link for what they thought was an assassination attempt. Just as Zelda turned to see Link coming at her Link crashed into her and pulled her with him onto the ground just as the arrow went by. It missed the queen but it struck Link in the leg. Link started bleeding but he helped the queen up and looked up at the roof. By now the guard who had spoken to Link earlier noticed the thief as well and ordered the archers to shoot the thief down. The thief had no time to react as several arrows struck him in his abdomen and he fell off the roof into the streets.  
  
The guards began to shoo the crowd away and escort the queen back to the castle. Just as the queen was going to be rushed away she turned to Link to thank him for saving her life when she finally got a good look at him. The color drained from her face and her mouth nearly dropped to the ground when she saw him.  
  
"Is it really……" she thought but she had no time to finish her thought. One of the guards grabbed her by the arm and tried as calmly as he could that she needed to be returned to the castle immediately.  
  
"Not unless this boy accompanies me. He did save my life after all and his wounds need to be treated," she said firmly.  
  
"Yes, of course. We will bring him with at once your majesty," the guard said as he helped Link into the Queen's carriage and ordered the driver to hurry to the castle.  
  
As they rode towards the castle the queen started to speak to Link but she saw that he had passed out from loss of blood. She moved over to him and placed a hand over his wound. A small yellow light emitted from her hand and Link's wound slowly closed up.  
  
"Now all you need is some rest my…" she began to say but didn't finish. She wasn't sure if she was right about whom he was and she didn't want to run the risk of being wrong she didn't finish her sentence. It would hurt her too much if she was wrong. She kissed him on the forehead then sat back in her seat.  
  
"Please goddesses, let it be him. Even if I can't tell him yet, please let it be him," Zelda thought as the carriage pulled into the castle.  
  
Zelda stepped out of the carriage and immediately ordered that the boy be brought to her room so he could rest. The guard whom Link spoke with earlier carried him to Zelda's room as she followed.  
  
When they arrived, the guard laid Link down on Zelda's bed and left the room to fetch a doctor. Zelda told him that was not necessary any longer as she had taken care of Link's injury. The guard nodded, bowed, and then left the two of them alone.  
  
As she looked down at Link she began to stroke his hair and cheek. She bent down and kissed him on the forehead again.  
  
"Please, oh please mighty goddesses let it be him," she thought one last time before getting up and heading to the throne room to address her advisors about the situation. She took one last look at Link's sleeping form and smiled. Even if he wasn't who she thought he was she was still glad that he was here. 


	3. The Legend of Zelda: The Ancient Spirits...

Chapter 3  
  
Inside the thrown room, Zelda's advisors were in a mass panic. They were screaming at the top of their lungs and running frantically about the room. There was one figure in the room however who wasn't running about frantically or screaming at the top of his lungs. As a matter of fact, he wasn't even an advisor. He was dressed in traditional Kokiri garb but obviously garb the size of an adult. His messy blonde hair stuck out from underneath the cap he wore on his head and a sword sheath was strapped across his chest. A normal Hylian sword was in the scabbard as the figure had long ago lain to rest his most beloved weapon. He wore light brown boots that came halfway up his shin and matching brown fingerless gloves on his hands. He wore a silver earring in his left ear and an ocarina was strapped to his belt.  
  
As Zelda entered the room the figure's cerulean eyes fixed themselves on her. He stayed in place leaning against the wall with one foot on it and his arms crossed but his gaze was ever fixed on the graceful queen. His eyes followed her until she sat in her throne and the advisors finally calmed down.  
  
"Your majesty, are you alright," one of her advisors addressed her. He was the youngest of her advisors, about ten or so years younger than herself but he had proven his knowledge was quite useful in some of Hyrule's financial problems.  
  
"I am fine, Miguel. It was a frightening experience but as you can see I am alive and well," Zelda said to Miguel as well as her other advisors.  
  
"Who tried to assassinate you, your majesty," an elderly man in a long flowing orange robe asked. Zelda looked at him and almost smiled. She had known this man since her adolescent years and he had provided her with the most useful advice of all her advisors in matters of state and, on occasion, even her personal affairs.  
  
"I do not know, Rauru. It appeared to be a young boy although I can't imagine why a child would want to kill me," Zelda said as she pondered her own statement. She did indeed truly wonder why a child would want to kill her.  
  
"Those Gerudo scum are the ones to blame. Those whores probably trained the boy and sent him to assassinate you," one of her advisors spoke.  
  
"ARIAN! I WILL NEVER HEAR YOU SPEAK OF WOMEN USING SUCH LANGUAGE AGAIN NO MATTER WHAT RACE THEY BELONG TO! DO YOU UNDERSTAND," Zelda screamed at her War Advisor. Deep down he had the kingdom's best interests at heart but he very easily lost himself when it came to things such as the situation that they were currently in.  
  
"Forgive me, your majesty. I lost my composure but do you not agree with me that it was the Gerudo," he said as he bowed to her as a sign of asking for forgiveness.  
  
"You are forgiven, Arian. Concerning the Gerudo, however, I am not so sure I want to assume they are responsible. Although tensions have recently risen between the Gerudo and our people I do not wish to start a war over an assassination attempt unless I am positive who the ones responsible are. Remember, we fought a war with the Gerudo when my father was ruling the kingdom and that war cost both sides greatly financially and emotionally. Let's also not forgot what their former king, Ganondorf, was capable of," Zelda said.  
  
At the mention of the name Ganondorf, even the figure leaning against the wall cringed. He knew all to well the horrors Ganondorf had been responsible for and the horrible power he had wielded before the mighty king of evil had been defeated. Although it was true some of the Gerudo rebelled against him, most stayed loyal to him and had helped him conquer Hyrule for the seven year period in which he ruled. The fact that he had a piece of the mighty Triforce at his command did not bode well for the people of Hyrule either.  
  
"What do you suggest we do then, your majesty," Rauru asked as he approached the thrown.  
  
"I want you to send a messenger to Gerudo Valley to speak with their leader and I also want you to send out as many agents as you can spare to investigate this matter. Is that understood, gentleman," she said firmly.  
  
"Yes, your majesty," they all said in unison as they bowed to her and slowly backed away.  
  
"By the way, your majesty how is the young boy who saved your life doing," Rauru asked just as he and the other advisors were leaving the throne room.  
  
"He is fine, Rauru. He is resting in my chambers as we speak. You will all have a chance to meet him later," she responded.  
  
Rauru and the others bowed and left the throne room. The figure that had been leaning against the wall now left his post and walked to Zelda. He stood next to Zelda for a moment not saying a word. After a few moments he finally spoke.  
  
"Is it him," the figure asked.  
  
"I'm not sure. He looks almost exactly like you but I could be wrong. He could just be Kokiri," she said.  
  
"Doubt it," the figure responded. "Kokiri elves do not age past ten years and one of the advisors was saying that the boy looked to be at least thirteen or fourteen years of age."  
  
"True but even if it is him we can't speak of it. Not now anyway. He still isn't old enough. If it got it who he was then…." Zelda began to say but the figure placed his finger on her lips.  
  
"I know. I know. We just have to be careful. His life will be in just as much danger as yours if it gets out. Besides," the figure said as he leaned in close and kissed Zelda on the lips, "I couldn't bare the thought of losing either of you."  
  
Zelda smiled and kissed the figure back. She stood up and laid her head on his shoulder and embraced him. He returned her embrace and rested his chin on her head.  
  
"You're so cute when you're all worried like that," she said to the figure as she closed her eyes briefly.  
  
He smiled and embraced her tightly for a moment and then let go. She almost protested until she looked up into his eyes.  
  
"So, we can we go see the boy," the figure asked. "I'm a little anxious to see him. I at least want to thank him for saving you."  
  
"We can go right now if you want. He might still be resting so we will have to be quiet," she said as she headed back to her chamber, the figure following her closely.  
  
Meanwhile, in Zelda's chamber, Link was just beginning to wake up. He looked around the room groggily and couldn't remember where he was. Suddenly he shot up as he remembered what happened. He had saved the queen from being killed. He noticed the décor of the room and figured that it must be the queen's bed chamber. He remembered his leg and looked down to see how badly it had been injured but he couldn't find a wound anywhere. He thought that was odd but knowing that Hyrule was home to some strange and magical things he figured a healer or someone with healing powers had healed him. He had seen it done before but only on a horse.  
  
Link stood up and walked around the room inspecting some of the queen's belongings. The chamber itself was not very large. There were pictures of people the queen knew all over her room and a huge closet opposite to her bed.  
  
"If I didn't know any better I would say that the queen was just a normal woman with money," Link said as he inspected what he now realized to be a rather semi-normal looking room.  
  
Link inspected the room for just a few moments longer then decided to leave and look for the queen. He realized that his "mother" would be worried sick about him by now and he would have to get home. He was also worried about Midnight. He had forgotten to ask someone to take care of him before he passed out.  
  
Just as he was about to leave the room the doors opened and Queen Zelda and the figure that had been following her were standing at the door. Link bowed to the queen and then looked up at the figure. He was slightly taken aback. The figure was dressed almost exactly like he was. His face even seemed the same although he was obviously much older.  
  
"Hello, your majesty. I hope that you are alright," Link said as he rose from his bow.  
  
"Oh, I am just fine. I do hope that you are okay. Oh, and you need not be so formal around me. You did save my life after all. You may call me Zelda," she said as she curtsied to Link.  
  
Link couldn't believe it. The queen was actually treating him like he was royalty. Although it was true he did save her life, he did not think that it warranted this much respect on his part. The figure could see the obvious confusion in Link's eyes and spoke up.  
  
"Don't worry. She treats everyone she's close to like this," he said calmly as he looked Link in the eye. Link was slightly taken aback when he heard the figure speak but he quickly regained his composure.  
  
"Oh! Well….Zelda….my name is Link," he said as he removed his cap and bowed once again.  
  
At this both the figure and Zelda looked at each other in surprise and then looked back at the boy. The figure was still not certain about the boy's identity so he asked him one more question.  
  
"Tell me, Link. Where do you live? Who are your parents," he asked calmly but his nervousness was somewhat apparent.  
  
"Well, I live on Lon Lon Ranch. My mother is Malon although she is not my real mother. She adopted me when I was just a baby. My Grandpa Talon and my Uncle Ingo live there with us as well," Link replied.  
  
The figure and Zelda no longer had any doubts about the boy's identity but they still couldn't reveal who he was. His identity had to remain secret until the right time came.  
  
"Well, Link, what were you doing in Hyrule Castle Town," Zelda asked him as she motioned for him to sit down on the bed. He did so and she sat next to him. The figure pulled up a chair and sat with the back of the chair facing Zelda and Link.  
  
"Well, my birthday was yesterday and my mother had given me a horse…..wait. Do you know what happened to my horse," he said nervously.  
  
"Was it black with white rings around its hooves," the figure asked.  
  
"YES! That was Midnight! Do you know where he is?"  
  
"He's in the castle stables. He sure does love oats. Reminds me of a horse I used to know…." the figure said and trailed off.  
  
"Anyway, yesterday was your birthday and….," Zelda said to steer the conversation back in the direction of Link.  
  
"Oh yes! Well my Uncle Ingo had given me fifty rupees to spend since he couldn't pick out a gift for me and I was headed towards Hyrule Castle Town. I had originally planned to ride my horse all day and just come to town tomorrow but somehow I wasn't paying attention and Midnight slung me off and into a stream and…." Link began as he told the whole story to Zelda and the figure next to them.  
  
When he finished, the figure beside Zelda whistled and said, "Well, that was certainly an interesting story. You must have had a very exciting time here. I tell you what. For saving Zelda's life and since your birthday was yesterday, I'm going to give you something."  
  
The figure reached down to his belt and removed his ocarina and handed it to Link.  
  
"Wow! This is incredible. I've always wanted to learn how to play a musical instrument," Link said.  
  
"Well you'll love the ocarina. It's actually really easy to learn but some of the tunes you play on it can be hard," the figure said with a smile on his face.  
  
"Not to be outdone by my handsome companion here I want you to have this," she said as she handed him a silver earring from a hidden pocket in her dress.  
  
"It's an earring for men. You don't even have to pierce your ear. It clips on like this," she continued as she demonstrated how to put it on.  
  
"I can't believe this. Thank you both so very much," Link said excitedly.  
  
"It's the least we can do for you. You did save me after all," Zelda said with a smile.  
  
Link was almost jumping for joy until he noticed the sword on the figure's back. He stared at it so long that the figure finally spoke up.  
  
"You like my sword, eh?"  
  
"Well, I've always been interested in them but my mother would never let me own one," he sadly. He had always loved swords but his mother had been adamant about not letting him own one. She wouldn't even let him pretend with a wooden stick.  
  
"I tell you what. You come here everyday just after noon and I'll teach you how to use one of these, okay," the figure said.  
  
"Wow! That would be really great. Thank you," Link said.  
  
"We should get you home now though. Your mother must be getting worried about you," Zelda said.  
  
"Yeah, she's probably pulling her hair out as we speak," Link said chuckling. Zelda and the figure laughed as well and then brought him to the stables to get Midnight. The figure offered to ride home with him but Link said he would be alright.  
  
Just before he left he turned to the figure and asked, "By the way, did you happen to see a b….."  
  
Link was cut off as the figure handed him his bow and arrow.  
  
"I figured it was yours when I found horse hairs all over your quiver," the figure said.  
  
Link thanked them once again and rode off to his home at break neck speed. The figure watched him leave and a look of sadness filled their faces.  
  
"It really was him. I'm so happy to have seen him after so long," Zelda said as she looked at Link's fading figure.  
  
"I am to, my love. I am to," the figure said as he to watched the fading figure of the young boy ride off in the distance. 


	4. The Legend of Zelda: The Ancient Spirits...

Chapter 4  
  
Malon was pacing back and forth inside the house she shared with her father, Link, and Ingo. Link had been gone since yesterday and it was already past noon. She had paced back and forth so much that there were noticeable marks where her feet had been on the floor. Talon was getting worried too. Not so much for Link because he knew that the boy could take care of himself. He was worried about Malon because he had never seen her so worried about anything before. It was not part of her usual cheery nature.  
  
"Calm down, Malon. I'm sure the boy is just fine. He knows how to take care of himself," Talon said as he put a hand on Malon's shoulder.  
  
"No he's not. He must have been mugged or kidnapped or……" Malon started rambling on and on about all the things that could have happened to Link.  
  
Talon shook his head then grabbed Malon by both of her shoulders and shook her slightly to snap her out of her state of panic.  
  
"Malon, considering who the boy's father is, do you really think that something that horrible happened to him," Talon said looking straight into his daughter's eyes. Malon finally relaxed. She knew that her father was right. Link could easily take care of himself.  
  
"I'm sorry, dad. It's just that…" Malon began to say before she started to tear up.  
  
"I know. I know. You've raised him like he was your own since he was a child. He's your world and you his. You two are the most important people in each other's lives," Talon said taking his hands off of her shoulders.  
  
Just as Malon began to sit down she heard a noise like horse hooves running on the ground. Seeing as they lived on a ranch she disregarded it at first until she realized that the sound was coming from the front of the ranch and all of the horses were in the back.  
  
With blinding speed she leapt from her chair and headed out of the door. In a matter of seconds she was at the front gate to the ranch. Sitting like a knight would on his mighty steed, Link was sitting still on Midnight looking down at Malon with a smile. He motioned for her to follow him to the stables so he could tie up Midnight and they could talk.  
  
After Link tied Midnight in his stall, Malon leapt at him and hugged him so fiercely that he momentarily lost his breath.  
  
"It's okay, mom. I'm alright," Link said. He was glad Malon was so loving towards him but she could overreact sometimes.  
  
"Oh Link! I was so worried about you. You have no idea how worried and scared I was that something happened to you," she said almost crying.  
  
Link laughed nervously when he heard Malon say that. He didn't have the heart to tell her he had been shot in the leg with the very same bow and arrows he had been given the day before as a birthday present.  
  
"What kept you away for so long? I thought you were only going shopping with the money Ingo gave you," she asked once she calmed down.  
  
"It's a long story mom. We should get Grandpa and Uncle Ingo in the house before I tell you what happened," Link said. Malon agreed and went to fetch Ingo from feeding the horses outside and Link went into the house to find his grandpa asleep at the kitchen table. Link smiled and then he laughed.  
  
"I wish that I could sleep anywhere like that," Link thought. He walked over to his grandpa and shook him to wake him up. Nothing happened. Link then tried patting him on the back. Still nothing happened. Link then tried tapping his grandpa on the head. Still nothing happened.  
  
"I hoped I wouldn't have to do this grandpa but I have no other choice," Link said as he went outside. He looked around and saw one of the cuccos that ran freely all over the ranch. Link snuck up behind it and grabbed it quickly. It didn't crow but started flapping wildly and trying it's best to get away from its captor. Link then brought it into the house and stood next to his still sleeping grandfather.  
  
"Sorry grandpa," Link said as he plucked a feather from the cucco. It crowed loudly and his grandfather awoke with a start.  
  
"Wha…what happened," Talon asked groggily as he rubbed his eyes. Link laughed as he placed the cucco outside just as Malon and Ingo walked through the door.  
  
"Sleeping on the job again, eh Talon," Ingo chuckled as he sat down next to his friend. It's true that at first he thought Talon was a lazy slob who didn't deserve to run the ranch but soon after Talon had regained the ranch after Ganondorf was defeated, Ingo realized the reason Talon slept all day was because of how hard he actually did work at the ranch. Ever since then he has had greater respect for the man who even after Ingo stole the ranch from him, Talon still kept him on as a ranch hand.  
  
"Leave me alone, Ingo. The boy just woke me up with one of those blasted cuccos," Talon said as he yawned and stretched.  
  
"Father, how you could have fallen asleep so quickly is beyond me. I was only gone for five minutes and you were already in a deep sleep," Malon said with a disapproving look on her face.  
  
"When you have worked as long and hard as I have then you will understand why this old man needs his beauty sleep," Talon said as he stood up.  
  
Link laughed and patted his grandpa on the back. He knew that his grandfather had worked hard all his life but he knew the real reason he slept all day was because he liked to.  
  
"So boy, where have you been? Your mother has been worried sick about you," Ingo said leaning in Link's direction.  
  
"You'll never believe what happened," Link said. Link then began to tell the whole story. He told them about falling in the stream and going into to town to buy clothes. About staying in the inn and how his bow and arrows were stolen. He told them about chasing the thief and losing him when he jumped down into the alley. Then he told them about the guard who offered to let him meet the queen in person for ten rupees. Then, with great pride, he told them how he spotted the thief from earlier getting ready to fire an arrow at the queen and how he leapt at the queen and pushed out of the way. Then he told them about getting hit in the leg with the arrow and losing so much blood he passed out. Then he told them about waking up without so much as a scratch on his leg. Then he told them about talking to the queen and a strange man that looked just like him.  
  
Malon was shocked by what Link had said. She couldn't believe he had actually met them. It was too soon for him to know.  
  
"Link honey. Did they tell you anything important or anything you thought was important," Malon asked nervously.  
  
"No not really mom. The man next to the queen though offered to teach me how to use a sword…." Link said as he clapped his hand over his mouth. He had originally planned to use riding Midnight as a cover for going to the castle so the man could teach him but now he had blown his cover.  
  
"TEACH YOU HOW TO USE A SWORD! LINK, WHAT HAVE I…." Malon screamed at him before Talon placed a hand over her mouth and excused Malon and himself from the room. He brought her outside and removed his hand from her mouth.  
  
"Father, what are you…" Malon began before Talon raised his hand to silence her.  
  
"Malon, you do realize why his parents asked us to take care of him all those years ago," Talon asked her with a very serious look on his face.  
  
"Yes father but…." Malon started to say but she was cut off by Talon again.  
  
"But nothing, Malon. You knew what destiny had in store for the boy. You knew what he would have to become when the time came. I understand how you feel. It was a very long time before your mother and I had you but before then we felt like something was missing from our lives. I know that Link is like a son to you. Before you started taking care of him you felt alone even with Ingo and I here but Malon, you have to realize that we were not destined to keep him forever. His final destiny lies elsewhere and we may not be a part of that, however unfair it may seem," Talon said as he looked in his daughter's eyes. He could see the pain that was tearing at her heart there. He had felt that pain once when he lost his beloved wife. The pain of loss was one of the greatest heartaches one could ever experience.  
  
"Father, I just don't want to lose him. He's all I have," Malon said as she collapsed and started crying. Talon knelt down, however painful it was to do so, and embraced his daughter.  
  
"It will be okay Malon. We still have a few precious years with him before the time comes. Let's live those years with happiness and not fear and worry," Talon said.  
  
Malon looked up at her father and her sobs quieted down and her frown slowly turned into a smile. Talon smiled back and the two of them slowly rose from the ground. Malon wiped her face with the handkerchief she always had around her neck to hide that she had been crying and walked back inside.  
  
"Link, honey," Malon said as she sat back down at the table, "you may take lessons from Queen Zelda's friend."  
  
"Really, mom," Link asked excitedly.  
  
"Yes, but on one condition. Tomorrow I want you to take me with you to meet this man. I want to know who it is that is teaching my boy how to fight," Malon said with a smile.  
  
"Thanks mom. You're the greatest," Link said as he ran over to her and hugged her tightly.  
  
"I know son. I know," she said as she kissed him on the head. It was then she noticed the silver earring he was wearing as well as the ocarina on his side.  
  
"Where did you get these," she asked as she touched the earring and the ocarina.  
  
"The queen and her friend gave them to me. They wanted to give me a birthday present and to thank me for saving the queen," Link said proudly.  
  
"Very beautiful," Malon said. "Now go clean up and go to bed."  
  
"Okay mom. I love you," he said as he kissed her on the cheek and left to get ready for bed.  
  
As she watched Link leave, Malon thought to herself, "That boy will be the death of me." 


	5. The Legend of Zelda: The Ancient Spirits...

Chapter 5  
  
Link and Malon sped through Hyrule Field on Midnight like the wind. Link was anxious to start his lessons and he also wanted his mother to meet the queen and her friend. Malon, despite having grown up on a ranch, was having trouble riding Midnight. She hadn't had that much trouble with a horse since Epona was alive.  
  
"Goddesses, I miss that horse," she thought to herself as she clutched her adopted son's waist with almost all her strength. Link had a little trouble breathing from his mother holding him so tight but he didn't really mind. He was too focused on reaching the castle.  
  
At the drawbridge, Link and Malon were let through immediately although the guard had a little trouble recognizing Link at first because he outfit had changed.  
  
"Is that you, young sir," the guard asked surprised.  
  
"Yes, it's me," Link said.  
  
"Didn't recognize you without your green tunic," the guard said and let him on through.  
  
Link was in fact wearing the same tunic he had on the day before but he told his mother to dye it black for him. He was a bit unnerved by how much he looked like the queen's friend and decided that changing its color would help ease his tension. It turned out great.  
  
As Link and Malon rode through town the people all waved at him and wanted to shake his hand. Everyone wanted to meet the boy who had saved the queen. Link blushed a few times when some girls asked him if he had a girlfriend and Malon laughed.  
  
"If he thinks it's bad now, what until he sees what happens to him in the future," she thought.  
  
In just a few moments Link and Malon had arrived at the castle and were waiting for the drawbridge to lower. While they were waiting, Link heard a commotion coming from behind him. He turned around and peeked to the side of Malon and saw something that shocked him to the core. A band of Gerudo warriors were attacking the town and a large number of them were already headed towards the castle.  
  
"HEY! OPEN UP! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK," Link yelled to the guard lowering the bridge. The guard looked behind Link and saw the warriors approaching. The guard turned behind him and yelled to some soldiers to sound the alarm. He lowered the bridge just enough for Link and Malon to jump across on Midnight. Link did so and landed with amazing grace and sped on through the castle without even bothering to get off Midnight.  
  
Link had been so fast riding through the castle that he had arrived in the throne room before news of the attack had even reached Zelda.  
  
"YOUR MAJESTY," Link said as he hopped off of Midnight followed by Malon, "something terrible has happened."  
  
"How dare you interrupt...," Arian began to say before Zelda interrupted him and spoke to Link.  
  
"What is it my boy," she asked calmly and politely.  
  
"The Gerudo have attacked the town your majesty! They were already on there way to the castle just as I entered," Link said as calmly as he could but his panic was very evident.  
  
"THE GERUDO HAVE ATTACKED! I KNEW IT! I KNEW THOSE WH…." Arian began before Zelda gave him the evil eye for what he was about to say.  
  
"Forgive me, majesty, but you must believe me now. I warned that the Gerudo would attack," Arian said once he had calmed down slightly.  
  
"What are we to do, your majesty," Miguel asked as he started to panic even more.  
  
"We will do whatever we can to stop the invasion of the Gerudo. Arian, I want you to call all the knights and guards who are off duty and place them at the front of the castle. Miguel, I want you to find all the servants and other people in the castle and bring them here to the thrown room. Rauru, I want you to come with Link, Malon, and myself. There is something that needs to be said," Zelda said calmly.  
  
All her advisors nodded and left to do what Zelda had ordered with the exception of Rauru.  
  
"Malon, it has been a long time," Zelda said as she walked over to Link and Malon.  
  
"Indeed it has, your majesty," Malon said as she curtsied.  
  
"Malon, I told you, you need not be formal around me. We are good friends. You know that you can call me by my name," Zelda said.  
  
"I know but it doesn't feel right though," Malon said to Zelda as she rose back up from her curtsy.  
  
Link was very confused at this point. Apparently his mother and Zelda were good friends but Link did not know how that was possible. He did not know that his mother had ever met the queen.  
  
"Mom, how…" Link began before he was cut off by a familiar voice.  
  
"We all knew each other when we were teenagers and the queen here was but a beautiful princess," he said with a smile to try and lighten the mood of the situation at hand.  
  
"We have more pressing matters at hand than a friendly reunion," Rauru said as he exited the room. Everyone followed him as he led through corridor after corridor of the castle until they found themselves in the library.  
  
"Why are we in the library," the figure asked Rauru. He had been in the library several times reading up on Hyrule's history and legends but he had never seen anything in it that could possibly help them now.  
  
"Watch and learn," Rauru said as he moved to the center of the library and lifted his hands above his head. A ball of light appeared and shot into the air. A blue column of light followed it and Rauru disappeared in a flash of light. Everyone stood stunned until they heard Rauru's voice again.  
  
"Step into the pillar of light. It will take you to our destination," Rauru said. One at a time they all stepped into the light and when they opened their eyes they found themselves outside a temple.  
  
"Rauru, why have you brought us here," Zelda asked. She knew where they were but she also knew that it was not yet time for them to be here.  
  
"I know that it is much too early to be here but this is our last hope. The Gerudo would only attack us if they knew for sure that they could beat us. The only way that could happen is if Ganondorf broke the seal," Rauru said as he moved towards the door.  
  
"How could he have broken the seal," the figure asked. "Didn't you and the other sages lock him away for all eternity?"  
  
"I'm afraid not. As long as we sages retained our power the seal would remain but the ancient spirits of Hyrule have been released and our powers are fading quickly. Even you will eventually lose your powers, your majesty, if these spirits are not returned to their proper resting places," Rauru replied.  
  
"Then what are we here for," Malon asked angrily. "It isn't his time yet."  
  
"What's mom talking about? What are they all talking about," Link thought with a very confused look on his face.  
  
"You all know that the Master Sword was forged as a weapon against all evil but did you know that was not its original purpose," Rauru said.  
  
"What do you mean," the figure and Zelda said in unison. Neither of them had known that.  
  
"The Master Sword was originally created to act as a sort of 'link' if you will between the Hero of Time and the ancient spirits. The ancient Hylians knew that one day the ancient spirits of the Sacred Realm would be released by a great evil and the power of the sages would begin to fade so they forged the Master Sword using the strongest and purest of metals combined with all their magical powers. The Master Sword was to be used to absorb the spirits through it and into the body of the Hero of Time. Once he had collected all seven of the spirits, four of them representing the elements and the other three representing the three goddesses, the Hero of Time was to go to the Golden Temple in the Sacred Realm. There, he would release the spirits and the power of the sages would be restored. The hero would then confront the evil that had released the spirits and defeat him so that, alive or dead, his body would be sealed within the Sacred Realm itself," Rauru said turning towards Zelda.  
  
"So you're saying that Ganondorf has released the spirits of the Sacred Realm," the figure asked Rauru.  
  
"Yes but that isn't all he has done, I'm afraid," Rauru said as he head hung on his shoulders.  
  
"What do you mean," Zelda asked with a worried look on her face.  
  
"Somehow Ganondorf has corrupted the spirits making them an evil force. And if the spirits become corrupted, eventually, so shall the sages. In essence, we sages will become possessed by the evil spirits and turn on the very hero we were meant to help. In order to absorb the spirits and purify them, the Hero of Time must defeat each of the sages in combat. Including you, Zelda, because, after all, you are the seventh sage," Rauru said as he pointed to a now very shocked queen.  
  
"This is all very interesting but where in the world are we supposed to find this Hero of Time," Link asked.  
  
Rauru looked at the boy and stared at him. Link felt a little uneasy but then he realized why Rauru was staring at him.  
  
"ME! How in the world can it be me," Link cried out. He simply couldn't believe what was going on.  
  
"Because, young one, your father was the Hero of Time before you," Rauru said calmly.  
  
"My father?! Who is my father," Link asked.  
  
Malon, Zelda, and the figure had realized that the time had come. It was much sooner than any of them had liked but there was no longer any avoiding it.  
  
"Let me tell him," Malon said as she walked over to Link.  
  
"What is it, mom," Link asked nervously.  
  
"Son, you know that I'm not your birth mother, right?"  
  
"Yes, I know. What does that have to do with anything," he asked.  
  
Malon gulped and started sweating nervously. She looked behind her and Zelda nodded for her to continue.  
  
"Son, your parents…are still alive," she finally managed to say.  
  
"What?! Where are they then?"  
  
"They're right behind me."  
  
Link's face went blank with shock as he looked at the two people behind his adoptive mother.  
  
"I…I…," Link tried to say but he just couldn't find the words to express himself. His mother was Queen Zelda and his father…he realized that he still didn't know his father's name.  
  
"What is your name," he said pointing a finger to the person he now knew was his father.  
  
"Believe it or not, it's the same as yours. I'm Link," the figure said as he finally properly introduced himself to his son.  
  
"So…that's…why you…" Link began to say as his eyes started to fill up with tears.  
  
"YOU ABANDONED ME BECAUSE OF SOME STUPID LEGEND," Link cried out not even caring that the Gerudo warriors ransacking the town would hear most likely hear him.  
  
"Son, we had to. If the legend would have come true, which it is beginning to, then Ganondorf would have come after you and…we couldn't bear the thought of losing you," Zelda said as she started to tear up as well.  
  
"But what if there had been an off chance that nothing would have happened? What if the legend would have never come true? You gave me to someone else just because you had a fear of something that might happen," Link said balling his fists as his first tears started rolling down his cheek.  
  
"We didn't want to take the chance. If we gave you to someone else, then Ganondorf would have never suspected anything until it was too late," the elder Link spoke.  
  
"Why would he come after me? Weren't you the Hero of Time, FATHER," he said, saying "father" out of spite rather than respect.  
  
"Unfortunately, the title of Hero of Time is passed down to his first born son, namely you," Rauru said. "Do you not have the mark of the Triforce of Courage upon your hand?"  
  
Link looked down and for the first time noticed the symbol upon his hand which was now glowing.  
  
"The Triforce. The ancient artifact left behind when the three Goddesses Din, Farore, and Nayru created the world. You carry a piece of that ancient power within yourself as well as your mother," Rauru said pointing to Zelda. Zelda turned her hand so the back of it faced Link and the Triforce of Wisdom glowed brightly.  
  
"I carry the Triforce of Wisdom," Zelda said.  
  
"Umm, if it's called a 'Triforce', then where is the third piece," Link asked.  
  
"Ganondorf has it. His piece is the Triforce of Power. He will be after you and your mother's…."  
  
"SHE IS NOT MY MOTHER," Link cried out again as he pointed to Zelda. Zelda's eyes filled with tears and she fell to the ground sobbing.  
  
"Link, honey, please understand. Your parents did what they thought was best. It was the only way they could be sure you were safe," Malon said.  
  
"I don't care. So what if this Ganondorf managed to break the seal? We could have run away together so he couldn't find us," Link as he started to cry again.  
  
"Son, you don't understand. Even if we had run away, Ganondorf WOULD have found us. It would have only been a matter of time. The only way we could ensure your safety is if he didn't know you existed," the elder Link said as even his eyes began to water but no tears fell.  
  
"I…I…can't…do…this. I…don't…want this," Link said in between his sobs. By now Link had fallen to his knees and had beaten his fist into the ground so much that his hands were raw and were beginning to hurt.  
  
"Son…" the elder Link said as he walked over to the younger Link and placed a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"DON'T TOUCH ME," Link yelled as he pushed the elder Link away from him. "I AM NOT YOUR SON! I…"  
  
Link hit the ground one more time with his fist and just cried. For what seemed like an eternity he knelt down and cried. Tears were flowing from his eyes like a raging river. Zelda could feel her son's pain as well as her own pain. She couldn't even begin to understand what he was going through. The pain she felt from Link was doubled because he did not want to acknowledge that she and the elder Link were his parents.  
  
Then, all of a sudden, Link just stopped crying. He stood up and wiped his face with his hand and wiped his hand on his tunic. He stood next to Rauru in front of the temple and did nothing more for a moment but then he spoke.  
  
"I'll do it but only because destiny has chosen me for this. Get that straight. I'm doing this because no one else can, not because you asked me to," Link said with a bit of hate and anger in his voice as he looked at Zelda and the elder Link. He could see the hurt in their eyes but it still didn't matter to him. He was so enraged at this point he almost couldn't think straight.  
  
"How do we get in this piece of crap temple," Link said.  
  
"Use respect when you are in the presence of a great structure such as the Temple of Time. We sealed it long ago to prevent someone from ever entering the Sacred Realm again. It can only be reopened with the song of the Ocarina of Time, the very ocarina which adorns your waist," Rauru said pointing to the dark colored ocarina.  
  
Link grabbed the Ocarina and placed it in left hand. He looked back to his father and glared at him with anger.  
  
"Thanks for the present," he said sarcastically as he turned back to face the temple. The elder Link felt a sharp pain in his heart when Link spoke but he did nothing to ease it. He felt that he deserved it for what he and Zelda had put him through even though they did it out of love.  
  
"What do I do now, old man," Link asked.  
  
Rauru, although he felt that the boy needed to be disciplined thoroughly at this point, said, "You must play the melody of the royal family, which has been dubbed Zelda's Lullaby. Zelda, if you would do the honor," Rauru said. Zelda nodded and approached Link and the sage. Link looked at her with rage in his eyes but his face concealing his emotions. Zelda could still see the look in his eyes and felt a great pain in her heart.  
  
"It's a very simple tune. Quite simple to learn," Zelda said. Link did not look at ease at all.  
  
"If you say so, MOTHER," he said just as sarcastically when he had said it to his father. He still didn't feel that his parents had been punished enough for what they had done to him.  
  
Zelda closed her eyes for a moment and took out an ocarina of her own. She started to play the song that Impa had played for her as a lullaby when she was a baby. When she finished she looked down at Link who was now just staring at her blankly.  
  
"Play it along with me now," she said. Surprisingly, Link got it on the first try.  
  
"Good. Now stand on the stone in front of the doors and play the song," Rauru instructed. Link did as he was told and played the song. The doors slowly opened and then there was a blinding light. When it subsided, Rauru hurried everyone inside.  
  
"We must hurry. The light will have alerted the Gerudo of our location," he said as everyone ran inside.  
  
Link looked in awe that everything in the temple. The stained glass windows were the most beautiful things he had ever seen and the patterns on the floor were amazing as well.  
  
"Excuse me, but where are the three spiritual stones," the elder Link asked fearfully. He knew that without them that couldn't even open the door of time let alone get the Master Sword.  
  
"This can't be," Rauru said. "What could have happened? The temple was sealed."  
  
"You can thank our great and powerful master for that," said a voice coming from the shadows.  
  
The elder Link drew his sword and cried out, "Who's there?! Show yourself!"  
  
A figure stepped out from the shadows and the elder Link almost dropped his sword from shock.  
  
"Yes, you remember me, your darker half. Seeing as how I never had a name, you can call me Dark Link," the figure said as he bowed.  
  
"It can't be. I defeated you in the Water Temple," the elder Link said.  
  
"True but my master saw that battle between us. He saw how difficult it was for you to defeat me so he decided to give me a second chance. He sent me to make sure that none of you leave here alive," he said with an evil smirk.  
  
"I defeated you once before. I can do it again," the elder Link said as he started to advance on his dark clone.  
  
"It wouldn't matter if you did. There are over 100 Gerudo warriors headed towards this temple as we speak. There is now way for you to win," Dark Link said as he laughed evilly. Link growled at his dark clone. He knew that he was right but he still had to do something.  
  
"What did you do with the stones," Zelda commanded. She was now enraged, a state that she was rarely in.  
  
"Not that it matters because you will be dead soon but my master Ganondorf has hidden them in three of his fortresses all over Hyrule, each guarded by one of his vicious and powerful creations," Dark Link said with a smirk.  
  
"You will pay for this," the elder Link said.  
  
"I don't think so," said a sinister voice coming from behind.  
  
"You…" the elder Link said. He would never forget that voice. The voice of pure evil.  
  
"Ganondorf," Link said as he turned to face his most hated enemy.  
  
"I'm not going to bother with a long speech of how it's nice to see you again and how it will please me to see you and all of your friends and family die, although it will mind you. I'm just going to get it over with. Kill them my warriors. Dark Link, come with me. We have business elsewhere," Ganondorf said as he motioned for Dark Link to stand next to him.  
  
"Sorry our reunion couldn't have been a bit longer. I do hope your journey into eternal rest will be a pleasant one," Ganondorf added as he laughed and disappeared with Dark Link in a flash of light.  
  
When the flash subsided, the elder Link saw they were surrounded on all sides by Gerudo warriors.  
  
"How are we going to get out of this," the younger Link said.  
  
"Like this," the elder Link said as he pulled out a bomb from behind him. Zelda was standing behind him so the warriors didn't see the bomb until it was too late. Just before it exploded, Link threw it in front of him. It exploded in mid-air, killing a few of the warriors and scattering the rest in a cloud of smoke.  
  
"Let's go," the elder Link yelled as they ran out of the temple.  
  
As they headed out of the door, Link heard Malon scream and turned to see his adoptive mother grabbed by one of the warriors.  
  
"MOM," Link cried out as Zelda and Rauru grabbed him from behind.  
  
Malon looked at her son with nothing but love in her eyes. Tears filled her eyes and then began falling down her cheek.  
  
"I love you, Link…" she said as a sword was shoved through her back and out through chest.  
  
"NOOOOO!!!!!" Link screamed as he kicked and struggled to get free. The elder Link had to help hold him back to keep him from running to certain death.  
  
"There's nothing we can do now. We have to leave," the elder Link said as he pulled his son away from the temple.  
  
Not far from the temple, Link found a weapons carriage for the Gerudo. Link silently motioned for them to stay back. He hoped aboard the carriage and knocked out the driver and threw her off. He motioned for them to get on and then once everyone was aboard, he tugged the reins hard and the horses set off. Among the commotion of ransacking Hyrule Castle Town, the Gerudo did not notice that one of their carriages was speeding out of the town.  
  
As the four of them headed out of Hyrule Castle Town, Link unconsciously laid his head down in Zelda's lap and cried himself to sleep.  
  
Link's last thought before going to sleep was, "I'm so sorry mom. I wasn't strong enough to save you." 


	6. The Legend of Zelda: The Ancient Spirits...

Chapter 6  
  
As the elder Link drove the carriage through Hyrule Field, the younger Link had cried himself to sleep with his head lying on Zelda's lap. Zelda ran her hand through his hair and petted him every once in a while. A tear slowly found its way down her cheek and onto Link's cheek.  
  
"How many times have I wished for moments like this," Zelda thought. The elder Link looked back at them for a moment and smiled but then he frowned. He had always wanted to have his son back but not like this.  
  
"Where are we going Link," Rauru asked the elder Link. Rauru had taken a seat next to Link in the front.  
  
"We have to go to Lon Lon Ranch and check on Talon and Ingo. We have to tell them about Malon as well," Link said sadly. Malon had truly been one of his best friends and one of the kindest most loving souls a person could know. He couldn't think of anyone but her to take care of his son when he and Zelda had to hide him.  
  
"I see…" Rauru said. He had never personally met the family that ran Lon Lon Ranch but he heard Link and Zelda speak of them many times. From what he had heard, he thought they were a very loving family.  
  
As the four of them sped through Hyrule Field, they finally came upon Lon Lon Ranch and Link was horrified by what he saw. The ranch had been burned completely to the ground. From the stench Link could tell that the horses and probably Talon and Ingo had been burned alive.  
  
"That bastard," Link thought as he scowled and just turned the carriage around and started off in another direction.  
  
"Link, why did we not…" Zelda began but was cut off by the elder Link.  
  
"I don't want our son seeing this if he wakes up. It'll be too much for him. It'll be less of a shock if we tell him later, away from this place," he said as he continued riding off in a southern direction.  
  
"Link, are we going to Kokiri Forest," Rauru asked the elder Link.  
  
"Yes. It's the safest place I can think of now. Besides, Saria and Mido will be more than happy to help us," the elder Link said as the entrance of the forest came into view.  
  
Link would have been excited if not for the situation they were presently in. He had not seen Saria in several years and she had been an even better friend than Malon. He had once thought about letting the young Link live with her but he decided against it. With her duties as a Sage, she would've been far to busy to raise a child. As far as Mido, he and Link had finally buried the hatchet and became good friends after he had defeated Ganondorf.  
  
The entrance to the forest was too narrow for the carriage to get through so Link motioned for everyone to get off. Zelda woke the younger Link and told him they were getting off. Link silently did so and walked over to the elder Link. He looked up at his father and couldn't help but notice the constant look of heroism on his face. How his father seemed to be ready for anything and even if he wasn't prepared he would still give everything he had to protect those he loved. For a brief moment, Link admired his father like any other son would admire his own father.  
  
"Have you ever been to the forest," the elder Link asked his son.  
  
"No. I've been to the entrance but I've never gone in. For some reason I found that I couldn't bring myself to go in," Link said sleepily. He still wasn't fully awake which may have been the reason why he wasn't being defiant or snapping at his mother and father.  
  
"Well, we're going in now. We're going to meet a good friend of mine. She took care of me like Malon….," the elder Link began to say before he closed his mouth and lowered his head. The younger Link felt a single tear fall down his cheek and a small sob escape his lip but he somehow managed to control his emotions.  
  
"Well, let's go," Zelda said as she and Rauru followed the two Links into the forest.  
  
As they crossed a suspension bridge, the elder Link heard a familiar feminine voice coming from behind them.  
  
"So you finally came back after all these years," the voice said as they all turned around. The elder Link smiled when he saw his best friend.  
  
"Hello, Saria. It most certainly has been a long time," the elder Link said as he walked over to Saria and shook her hand. It had certainly been a long time because now Link towered over her by a good two feet and his hand seemed to completely hide hers in it.  
  
"So what brings you back to the forest my friend," Saria asked him in her usual cheery tone. Link frowned and told her that they needed to talk but somewhere else.  
  
"Oh, well let's go to the Forest Temple. There are no longer any monsters there and with the help of the Kokiri we managed to turn it into an actual working temple. Hold onto to me everyone," Saria said as she turned her back to them. Each of them placed a hand on her shoulders and Saria then raised her hands into the air. A green ball of light shot up from her hands and a blue column of light shot up from the ground. In a flash of light they all disappeared.  
  
When the younger Link opened his eyes he found himself in front of a beautiful temple with trees and flowers of almost every variety in the courtyard outside of it. In the middle of the courtyard he noticed a large stone circle with the Triforce on it.  
  
The elder Link saw his son looking at the stone and said, "When you play a song called the Minuet of Forest on your ocarina, you will instantly be transported to that exact spot."  
  
"Oh," was all the younger Link said as they continued into the temple  
  
The elder Link took a look around the temple and was surprised by what he saw. He had not actually been inside the Forest Temple since he had defeated the phantom copy of Ganondorf. The main room still split off into several other rooms but it was now much brighter looking than it had been when he was there and the floors were adorned with green carpeting instead of the red that had been there before. He still noticed that the elevator was still in the middle of the room but it was much larger now.  
  
"Shall we," Saria said as she motioned for them to get into the elevator. They did so and it started with a slight jolt and slowly descended into the floor. For a moment the younger Link nearly jumped out of his skin and latched onto Zelda for a moment. When he realized what he was doing, he quickly let go of her dress and turned away from her. Zelda bit her lip to keep the sob from escaping it.  
  
When the elevator reached the bottom, they all stepped off and headed into the chamber in which the elder Link had fought the phantom copy of Ganondorf. It had been changed into what appeared to be a meeting room. Saria moved over to a large chair at the head of a large table and everyone else sat in a chair near her.  
  
"Now tell me," she began, "what has happened?" The elder Link began to explain the situation to Saria as best he could and Rauru or Zelda would fill him in whenever he missed something.  
  
"So this is your son," Saria said as she pointed to the younger Link. The younger Link turned his head away from her and looked up to stair at the ceiling.  
  
"Yes, he is the Hero of Time now and if the legend is true and Ganondorf has corrupted the seven spirits, then he may very end up fighting all of you sages," the elder Link said.  
  
"Oh my goddesses! Is there nothing we can do to stop this from happening," Saria asked in shock.  
  
"Unfortunately, I'm afraid not," Rauru spoke. "Once the spirits have been corrupted it is only a matter of time before we sages become corrupted as well. The spirits can only be purified when the Hero of Time defeats us and absorbs them into his body then brings them to the Sacred Realm."  
  
"I see," Saria said as she lowered her head and began to think. She then realized something very important.  
  
"You all do know what will happen even if we recover the spiritual stones and open the Door of Time? Once Link pulls the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time then his spirit will also be imprisoned in the Sacred Realm until he is of age to become the Hero of Time like his father before him. Although he is older than his father was when he pulled the Master Sword from the pedestal it is not by much and he will still be trapped for several years before he is released."  
  
The elder Link then slapped himself on his forehead. He couldn't believe how stupid he had been in forgetting that.  
  
"I don't care how long I have to be trapped. I'm going to kill that monster that was responsible for killing my mother," the young Link said as he shot up from his chair. He did it so quickly that he knocked his chair over.  
  
"But your mother is…." Saria began to say before she was cut off by the younger Link.  
  
"SHE IS NOT MY MOTHER," he yelled as he banged his fist on the table and a tear slid down his cheek. At that moment everything he had put into trying to forgive his birth parents was in vain and his old feelings about them returned.  
  
Saria became angry when she saw the display that the younger Link was putting on. She got up from her chair and walked over to him. He was a bit taller than she was but not so much that she had to look up at him. Then Saria did something that no one in the room expected. She outstretched her arm and slapped the younger Link as hard as she could.  
  
"You know, you should stop treating your parents like that. They did what they had to do because they loved you. You should be lucky that you had and still have parents that love you that much. Even Malon understand why they did what they did. Don't you think it's time you realized why they did it as well," she said as she stormed back to her seat and sat back down.  
  
The younger Link just stood there with a blank expression on his face and put his hand on his cheek where Saria had slapped him. He couldn't believe she had done that. As he felt the stinging go away he slowly realized that despite all his attempts to blame everything on his parents and no matter how much he wanted to hold on to his hatred of them…he couldn't. He finally realized that they really did love him.  
  
He pulled his chair back up to the table and quietly sat down. He didn't speak for a moment but then he finally said something that he meant with all his heart.  
  
"Mother, father, I forgive you but when the time comes, I am still going to avenge my mom. I hope it doesn't bother you that I call her that but that is what she is to me and as I said, when the time comes, I will kill the monster that was responsible for her death."  
  
The elder Link nodded his head as well as Zelda. Saria was glad that she had managed to bring the family together but there were more pressing matters at hand.  
  
"Back to the subject at hand, we have to find the spiritual stones first. Do we have any idea where we can begin to look," she asked. With the exception of Rauru, everyone scratched their heads in confusion. No one had any idea where Ganondorf's fortresses were.  
  
"I believe I can help with that," said a voice coming from the entrance to the meeting room.  
  
"MIDO," the elder Link said. He was actually happy to see the long time acquaintance of his.  
  
"Hello, Link. It's been a while," Mido said with a smirk. He remembered when Link was still his size and how jealous he had been because of all the attention he got from the Deku Tree and Saria.  
  
"Mido, you know where to find the spiritual stones," Saria asked with a look of hopefulness on her face.  
  
"I know where to find the Spiritual Stone of the Forest. A few of the other Kokiri and I were looking for some Deku seeds in the forest when we happened upon a fortress. At first we thought it was one of the abandoned fortresses from the first war with the Gerudo but we saw some guards standing at the front gate. We also saw a figure that looked like Link but much darker looking go inside with the spiritual stone in his hand. This was yesterday so I don't know if it's still there," Mido said as he sat down at the meeting table.  
  
"You think you can lead us to it," the younger Link asked.  
  
"Well, well. So you're the one that's supposed to replace the big guy here," Mido said as he looked at the elder Link.  
  
"Well…" the younger Link said with a very serious look on his face.  
  
"Sorry. Yes I can take you there but it will have to wait until tomorrow."  
  
"Why's that," the younger Link asked somewhat agitated.  
  
"For several reasons my young friend. One, you don't know how to use a sword and will be pretty much useless until you learn how to use one. Two, it's almost dark and security around that place is almost impossible to breach without alerting the whole fortress of our presence. Three, you're going to need to rest up if you're planning on breaking into that place," Mido said smugly. "That reminds me. I brought you a little something."  
  
Mido reached behind him and brought out a small sword and handed it to the younger Link.  
  
"You remember this sword, buddy," he asked the elder Link.  
  
"Yeah, I sure do. Had some good times with it," he said as he smiled.  
  
"There's also someone I want you to meet, my young friend. Your father knew her well," Mido said as he stepped inside.  
  
Out of nowhere a blue ball of light flew straight at Link and flew right into his face. It started fluttering around him like crazy and for a moment it seemed to be kissing his cheek.  
  
"LINK! I'VE MISSED YOU SO MUCH," a little voice cried out as the blue ball began circling the elder Link again.  
  
"NAVI! Is that really you," the elder Link asked surprised. He had not seen his fairy friend even longer than he had Saria.  
  
"It's great to see you Link. I can't wait to help you beat that bastard Ganondorf again," Navi said excitedly.  
  
"Not me. You'll be helping my son this time," Link said as he pointed to the younger Link sitting across from him.  
  
Navi flew over to the younger Link and circled around him as if inspecting him. She stopped at his face and looked at it a moment and then flew back to the elder Link.  
  
"I see the resemblance but he isn't anywhere as near as handsome as you," Navi said with a smile. Link's cheeks became red a little but the younger Link and Zelda took offense to Navi's comment and gave her the evil eye. Link saw them and remembered the seriousness of the situation before them. He then explained everything to Navi as quickly as he could.  
  
"THAT MONSTER! We have to stop him," Navi said enraged.  
  
"I agree. So, the plan is the big guy here teaches the little guy how to fight, we rest up, then tomorrow we sneak into the fortress," Mido said to the group.  
  
"Agreed," they all said in unison.  
  
"I will all show you to my house. You can rest there. Link and Link…um, is there anything we can do to cut down on the confusion," Saria asked.  
  
"Not really. Just make sure you're looking at which one you want to talk to," Mido said.  
  
"Okay then. You remember where the practice grounds were, don't you Link," she said as she looked at the elder Link. He nodded his head.  
  
"You can teach him there. If that's everything, let's take our leave then," Saria said as they all headed towards the elevator. On their way out, the younger Link suddenly grabbed Navi out of the air and held a tight grip on her.  
  
"Listen here you. Let's get one thing straight. If all you're going to do is make fun of me and joke the whole time then you might as well go back to wherever it is fairies come from, got it," he said and then let her go.  
  
As he walked off, Navi stuck her tongue out at him and said, "Whatever, Mr. Cranky Pants." 


	7. The Legend of Zelda: The Ancient Spirits...

Chapter 7  
  
Link was pushed back by his father and fell on his rear with a thud. He quickly recovered and moved out of the way of the wooden sword that made a stab for him. Link then rolled towards his father and stabbed at his abdomen just as he came out of the roll but his father was already behind him and bladed his son on the rear with the sword.  
  
The elder Link laughed a little at his son but the younger Link growled in anger. He couldn't believe his father had actually found that funny. He was supposed to be teaching him how to fight so he could defeat Ganondorf but here he was laughing his head off. The younger Link blindly charged at his father ready to "cut" him with a downward slash. The elder Link's look immediately became a serious one and he prepared himself for his son's attack.  
  
"Reckless," the elder Link thought as he easily blocked his son's attack with his wooden sword and pushed him to the ground once again.  
  
The younger Link was getting thoroughly agitated by now. He was trying his best but his father was just toying with him. As far as the younger Link could tell, his father was just playing with him. That only served to make him angrier. The elder Link had a purpose for this though. He was trying to teach his son how to control his emotions in battle.  
  
The younger Link blindly charged him again and the elder Link side-stepped him and bladed him on the back just enough for him to lose his center of balance. The younger Link found that he couldn't stop himself from running and saw that he was headed for a stone wall. By the time he realized it though it was already too late and he ran straight into it, headfirst.  
  
The other Kokiri, Zelda, Rauru, Mido, Saria, and Navi were all watching this and when the younger Link ran into the wall they all cried out at the same time, "OOH."  
  
"I bet that was painful," Mido added after the younger Link had fallen to the ground semi-conscious.  
  
It took him a few moments but the younger Link regained his bearings and prepared himself for another attack. His father smiled at him and prepared himself as well.  
  
"I just hope he learns that he will be able to attack better if he's calm," the elder Link thought as he stared down his son. "It won't do him any good if I have to tell him."  
  
The younger Link took the stare down as a chance to formulate a plan. He knew that his father was waiting for him to attack.  
  
"Okay. So far I haven't been able to hit him. Why," the younger Link thought. As he started to think he realized that because he wasn't thinking before he had no idea what his father was going to do and wouldn't know how to react to it.  
  
"Figured that out. Now why wasn't I thinking," he thought. Then it hit him. People can't think when they are emotional, whether it is from anger, love, or any other emotion.  
  
The younger Link smiled and the elder Link saw that his son had finally figured out why he wasn't hitting him.  
  
"Shall we continue, son," the elder Link said.  
  
"Let's shall," the younger Link replied as he charged at his father. The elder Link prepared to blade his son again but the younger Link quickly spun around and blocked the attack. The elder Link was somewhat surprised and lost his footing for a moment. The younger Link took this opportunity to knock him down to the ground. Then he knocked his father's sword out of his hand with his own and kicked it away and then placed the tip of his sword at his father's neck.  
  
"Do you yield," his son asked with a smirk. The elder Link smiled and nodded his head. This caused the small crowd watching to roar with applause and whistles. The fairies flew around in wild circles to show their approval.  
  
"Wow kid! I have to admit you're a lot better than I thought," Navi said as she circled around the younger Link's head.  
  
"I'm impressed as well. I'm glad you figured out that controlling your emotions and not letting them overcome you is the key to fighting," his father said.  
  
"I must admit I didn't want to control my emotions. For many reasons but I'm sure you know why," the younger Link said to his father.  
  
The elder Link nodded and motioned for them to walk over to Zelda. Zelda couldn't contain herself and nearly squeezed the life out of her son as she hugged him. It was the first time she had hugged him because she was proud of him.  
  
"You did wonderful, Link. I'm so proud of you," she said as she squeezed him even tighter. By now the younger Link was turning a slight shade of blue and was beginning to pass out.  
  
"Mom…Mom…you're…I…can't…breathe," he said in between very strained breaths. Zelda let go of him but mostly because of shock.  
  
"What did you call me," she asked with a look of surprise and shock on her face.  
  
"I called you m…," the younger Link started to say as he too realized what he had said.  
  
"You called me mom," Zelda said as a tear welled up in her eyes. She started to cry but not hysterically and hugged her son again but lightly this time.  
  
"I guess I did," he said as he hugged his mother back. He couldn't believe it himself but realized in just a short period of two days he had come to love Zelda like a mother which she was.  
  
"I suppose we couldn't make this a group hug, could we," the elder Link asked as he approached the two of them.  
  
"Sure…dad," the younger Link said with a bit more difficulty. The word "dad" was very foreign to him but he found that he liked the sound of it.  
  
The elder Link encircled both his son and lover in a tight embrace. The only thing he had wanted more was that this was a family hug. As much as he and Zelda had loved each other they had never married because even though he may have been the Hero of Time, he was still a commoner and Hylian law forbade the marriage of royalty to the common people. When Zelda had become pregnant with their son, it was not hard to hide it. The public rarely, if ever, saw Zelda. To throw off her advisors she pretended she was plagued by a mysterious illness that left her bedridden. Amazingly her advisors never saw through her ploy. Impa, Zelda's long time caretaker and friend, had agreed to be the midwife. It was not long after Impa had agreed to be the midwife that she revealed that the seal in which Ganondorf had been sealed behind seemed like it was beginning to weaken. Zelda and Link feared the worst and decided that they would give up their son to someone they trusted. Impa reminded them they would have had to give him to someone else anyway lest they start a scandal in the castle that would most likely spread throughout the whole kingdom. Soon after their son had been born, Impa took him to Malon and explained the situation. Malon, who had longed for a child of her own, agreed without hesitation. Impa returned and told them whom she had left their child with. Link agreed with Impa that Malon was a good choice.  
  
"Umm, hate to break up this family togetherness but we have more important matters at hand," Navi said with an annoyed look on her face. She didn't understand what people saw in families. She was glad that she never had any children.  
  
"I agree. The young one's training is the most important thing on our agenda right now," Rauru said.  
  
"You're right. Let's get some water and rest then we'll continue, okay," the elder Link said as he broke the hug with his "family".  
  
"Can I just be alone for a sec. I want to think about something by myself, okay," the younger Link said.  
  
"Okay. Whatever you want son," Zelda said as she, Link, and all the others left the training grounds to go about their business.  
  
As Link sat on a stump, he began to think about Malon. He smiled as he began to reminisce about all the things they had gone through. He remembered when he was having his nightmares and she would come running into his room and comfort him as best she could. She would tell him not to worry and that she loved him. She would then kiss him on the forehead and tell him to go back to sleep. A few times, she had even offered for him to come and sleep with her.  
  
"I'm gonna miss you mom," Link said to himself as he got up and headed towards Saria's house.  
  
Meanwhile, at Saria's house, the elder Link, Zelda, Rauru, and Saria were sitting at a table drinking glasses of water.  
  
"It's amazing how much the boy has improved in just a few hours," Rauru said as he took a sip from his cup.  
  
"Takes after me I suppose. I learned in just a few hours myself," the elder Link said.  
  
Zelda crossed her arms and turned her head away from Link and everyone laughed. Even Rauru chuckled a little.  
  
"What's so funny," the younger Link said as he entered through the front door.  
  
"Your mother is angry because you apparently take after your father more than your mother," Saria said while still trying to stifle her laughter.  
  
"It isn't fair," Zelda said childishly causing even more laughter to erupt from the group. Even the younger Link laughed this time.  
  
"I knew it. You're all against me," she said in mock accusation.  
  
"Don't worry, mom. If it helps, I may have got dad's brawn but I got your brains," the younger Link said. Zelda laughed as well as Link. The three of them laughed for a long time, enjoying their first real family moment.  
  
Sorry this chapter is so short but I just wanted to show that Link, Zelda, and their son were starting to come together as a family. It may seem a little early for that but I thought it was necessary in order for the younger Link to truly accept his destiny. Tell me what you think. 


End file.
